1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for copying voice-mails from a voice-mail system (VS) into an e-mail system (ES) and maintaining synchronization between VS and ES message states.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Voice-mail systems are widely used by businesses to provide a means of capturing telephone messages when a caller cannot be serviced in real-time. Many approaches for coordinating and synchronizing voice- and e-mail systems have been proposed, as described in the following sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,458 B1 to Kunjibettu discloses a system and method that sends and stores a corresponding e-mail message for every voice-mail message when a voice message is stored in a user's voice-mailbox. At predetermined times the voice- and e-mail boxes are synchronized. Kunjibettu teaches creating e-mails corresponding to voice-mails and not vice versa, see FIGS. 1-3. Kunjibettu teaches that a plurality of e-mail systems may be used in conjunction with a plurality of voice-mail systems 100, col. 5 lines 58-63. In terms of architecture, Kunjibettu teaches using a timer and is not an event driven system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,630 B1 to Owens et al. discloses a system for integrating electronic mail, voice-mail, and fax mail in a universal mailbox. Using a computer and a modem, message receivers may playback voice-mail, view fax mail, and read e-mail by accessing the universal mailbox via connection software. Message receivers may playback voice-mail, redirect fax mail, and “listen” to e-mail through a text-to-speech conversion (Abstract). E-mail may be converted to voice-mail, dial-out to a cellular landline may be specified, and a fax and pager may also be forward options (FIG. 6). Voice-to-text is supported for message content as well as commentary (FIG. 11). Senders and receivers of messages specify filter and forward options and user options, respectively, for in-bound voice, fax, and e-mail (FIGS. 6-15). The universal mailbox is described in FIG. 2. Owens teaches rules to govern synchronization and does not teach states of an e-mail, but only teaches copying the e-mail.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,762 to Brunson et al. discloses rules-based synchronization of mailboxes in a data network. Brunson teaches synchronizing the contents of commonly-owned mailboxes in disparate messaging systems (Abstract). Mailboxes are monitored for incoming messages and copies are sent to associated mailboxes. Message actions can be synchronized with respect to copies resident in associated mailboxes (col. 5, lines 64-66). Event monitoring is used by each of the message systems in a pro-active manner to accomplish synchronization of mailboxes (col. 5, line 66-col. 6 line 3). Brunson teaches auto-forwarding of messages. This method is problematic since, if there is no control on the loopback, the program can go into a runaway loop of receipts for auto-forwarded messages. Also, auto-forwarding is susceptible to delays and relies on the polling of individual mailboxes on all systems to be synchronized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,449 to Chang et al. discloses an apparatus and method for multimedia messaging between disparate messaging platforms. Supported formats include any type supported by e-mail, such as, fax, e-mail, voice and extends to digitized audio, graphics file, and digitized video which may be attached to e-mail messages. A “converter” converts incoming messages of one format to a “delivery format” according to received delivery information (col. 7, line 30 et seq.) Voice to e-mail and vice versa are supported (col. 19, line 1 et seq.). Fax to e-mail and vice versa are supported (FIG. 6) and a roaming or virtual mailbox is supported (col. 14, line 16 et seq.). There is no teaching of synchronization across messaging systems of actions taken in one messaging system with respect to corresponding messages in another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,638 to Hoss et al. discloses an integrated multimedia messaging system that coordinates messages received in a first messaging system with a second messaging system and includes synchronization of message content and actions a cross first and second messaging systems (claim 1). E-mail and voice-mail are interfaced (FIG. 3). Hoss et al. teaches an integrated messaging system that uses existing messaging systems to receive, store, retrieve and manage messages in media types and formats appropriate to each existing messaging system using protocols which are specific to each messaging system (col. 2, lines 54-67). Hoss teaches three ways to store synchronized data: 1) pointer system (not a copy); 2) copy message to each side; and 3) put all in one universal database. Hoss teaches CMC, using X.400 interface, which implies that it is a poller. Hoss teaches a state database to hold ‘read’ states. Hoss requires the various mail systems to log in and log out.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,002 to Brunson discloses a system and method for content and status synchronization of mailboxes of different types, e.g., e-mail and voice-mail (Abstract). A separate synchronizer component interfaces with the different messaging systems (FIG. 1) and maintains a database containing mailbox-pair status as entries in a state table to synchronize actions for corresponding messages in various messaging systems (FIG. 2). Individual mailboxes are polled in a paired fashion (FIG. 3). Brunson teaches a poller that sequentially goes through a mailbox, a phone record, etc. and performs message comparisons. This approach is very computer-intensive and inefficient, because it is constantly rechecking the same records over and over again. Brunson teaches a separate state database that is an additional point of failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,266 to Boaz et al. discloses an Integrated Messaging System that integrates mail from a plurality of mail servers handling messages of different media types such as text, voice, facsimile, video and image. A common in-basket is maintained for all the mail systems, and synchronization functions (FIGS. 10-11) a cross messaging systems are provided (Abstract, FIG. 2). In addition to the foregoing media types, OCR-to-text and vice versa are supported. Boaz teaches a proprietary protocol that can be used in unified messaging. The teaching of Boaz is limited to specific hardware and software and with very specific configurations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,059 to Woo et al. teaches an integrated messaging system that uses existing messaging systems to receive, store, retrieve and manage messages in media types and formats appropriate to each existing messaging system using protocols specific to each messaging system (col. 2, lines 54-67). Woo claims an apparatus and method for replaying messages and communicating with an audio player (claims 1, 11, and 21). This is a poller system since it accesses mailboxes in a sequential fashion. Secondly, as a poller system it requires the use of a state database to minimize system resources.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,912 to Dorfman et al. teaches a voice server for providing integrated voice-mail and e-mail messages for use with an e-mail server and an e-mail client. Voice-mails are deleted upon receipt of corresponding e-mails. There is no synchronization of messages per se (FIG. 3). An assassin attachment is used to delete e-mail messages from the e-mail server (FIG. 10a). Dorfman does not teach handling a message ‘read’ state, i.e., that the message was read. It relies on SMTP to synchronize messages. Using SMTP implies that this is an auto-forward system. This method is problematic since, if there is no control on the loopback, the program can go into a runaway loop of receipts for auto-forwarded messages. Also, auto-forwarding is susceptible to delays and relies on the polling of individual mailboxes on all systems to be synchronized.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,177 to Luzeski et al. discloses an integration of an e-mail messaging system with a voice/fax messaging system on a messaging platform computer (Abstract). A universal inbox displays all of a subscriber's voice, fax and e-mail messages. A standard API is provided through which access to stored proprietary messages can be made (col. 4, lines 2-4). There is no voice-to-text, etc. and therefore no need for linking messages in one messaging platform to another, i.e., for purposes of synchronization. Luzeski teaches CMC using X.400 protocol functions. By virtue of using CMC, this is a poller, as discuss above for the patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,002 mentioned above. This invention does not deal with synchronization but rather it proposes aggregation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,485 to Homan et al. discloses a system and method for integrating notification functions of messaging systems (Abstract). There are no synchronization functions and no message duplication from one system to another and therefore no deletion coordination is required between messaging systems and none is taught. Homan teaches sending an indicator only, not an entire message. Essentially, a pointer system is taught. This can be efficient, because less information is sent, and the message is copied only when requested. However, both systems must be running, so there are more points of failure.
While there are a significant number of prior art systems for integrating, interfacing and unifying various messaging systems, none addresses a significant part of the messaging installed base, namely unifying an event-based messaging system with a system that does not create events.